When Typhoon Odette hit through Palawan in December 2021, the Municipality of  Roxas and their rich cashew industry were greatly affected. Despite their loss, the Roxas Seed Growers Multi-Purpose Cooperative (RSGMPC), proponent group of the Palawan Cashew Processing Center, was able to report 2022 gains in terms of sale.

RSGMPC shared that while Odette significantly affected their cashew supply, they tried to keep their processing enterprise afloat by purchasing raw cashew nuts from neighboring municipalities. A huge part of their gains also came from renting out their PRDP-provided vehicles: the delivery van, hauling truck, and motorcycle with top down.

For the year 2022, the RSGMPC was able to generate PhP670,000 in revenue from cashews alone, and another PhP830,000 from PRDP-provided farm equipment rentals. Minus the expenses, the organization recorded a gross profit of PhP600,000 for the whole year.

Currently, the Roxas Seed Growers Multi-Purpose Cooperative (RSGMPC) sells roasted whole and split cashew nuts in packs of 1000 grams, 250 grams, and 150 grams. Chairman Jose Delos Reyes is proud to say that although they had to access a loan to produce cashews in 2022, they were able to recover more than a hundred percent in sales.

“Sa kasuy, more on kasuy nagpalaki ng operation income namin. Utang yan. Utang kasi wala pa kami kapital. Sa El Nido lang [kami umutang], sa local farmers lang… Nag-start kami mag-process ulit, tuloy-tuloy na ‘yung trabaho (The cashew is what mainly boosted our income. We had to get a loan because we didn’t have the capital yet. We had to get a loan from the local farmers from El Nido. We started processing again, and we’ve been continuously operating since then.),” Delos Reyes shares. 

More than the actual sales and rentals, Delos Reyes shared that the perseverance and dedication of the members were the driving factors that kept the organization going despite the losses from Odette.

“We rarely had meetings before. Now we do it frequently. If there’s a problem, we immediately meet with the board. The board is active, and it is uncommon for someone not to attend. We decide on everything through meetings and open communication. It is also a huge factor that the members are always there, so our operations are continuous.,” Delos Reyes added.

Aside from producing roasted cashew nuts, the enterprise continuously explores the market and potential investors for Cashew Nut Shell Liquid (CNSL). The Palawan Cashew Processing Center was completed in October 2019 and had a total subproject cost of PhP11.7 million, which includes a CNSL Machine System, a processing center, multiple vehicles, and other tools and equipment for roasted cashew production. ### (Danica A. Brutas, DA-PRDP MIMAROPA RPCO InfoACE Unit)